Effect of snow cover on obstacle performance of vehicles

Trafficability of terrain is a function of soft soil, hard or rough ground, geometric obstacles, vegetation, and the riverine environment. All of these terrain aspects are altered by cold temperatures and snow cover. This paper examines the effect of snow cover on obstacle crossing performance of vehicles. The mathematical expressions describing step negotiation, trench crossing, and slope climbing on snow-covered obstacles are given in terms of tracked vehicle, obstacle, and snow parameters.Tests of two tracked vehicles on snow-covered slopes, stream crossings, steps, and trenches were conducted, and some of the results were compared with computed values. Differences between computed and experimental values are attributed to neglecting slip-sinkage and track deflection in the computations.